With the French spearheading the UN effort to do something about the Lebanon crisis, the Israelis need to contemplate what life will be like next door to La Légion étrangère, the obvious choice for a non-peacekeeping, “you get to shoot people” mission along the border. These guys are rather well known for their loose “rules of engagement”, generally following the advice of Abbé Arnaud-Amaury of Citeaux.
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7 comments
I saw a TV program once about the foreign legion. Apparenlty, any foreigner may join it
It is a path to French citizenship, but they aren’t quite as forgiving about criminal records as was once the case. They are hard cases.
As the steph-daughter of a Légonnair (alas deceased) and having a former Légonnair as a house-mate I can attest that they can be the most gentle, well-behaved and polite friends you can wish for, but they have their moments when feeling threathened or being roaring drunk.
Posting the Légion in Lebanon may become an education for all involved. The word one looks for is “forthright”. And yes, a Légonnair does shoot back when being shot at. He aims first too.
I know them only from “professional” contact. They do the job assigned to them and would keep the peace whether the politicians really wanted the peace kept or not.
It’s too bad there is no equivalent international force to be used in crisis situations.
Oh come on, “I” expected them the moment I heard the French were going to be involved. The legion seems to be as active as ever.
http://www.legion-recrute.com/en/
I am ex brit army, foreign legion, they will keep to the rules of engagement, but defend themselves properly
So did I Rob, but I don’t the US-Israel brain trust considered that possibility.
I should hope so, Neil. I’m ex-law enforcement as well as ex-Air Force. These “peace keeping” operations should react under the same rules as law enforcement, which means the use of force when reasonable and necessary. I don’t see why a peace keepers should be more restricted than police.